How To Install A Fridge In A Van

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Deciding on a fridge for your camper van conversion can be a claiming. It really comes downwardly to your layout and how well each specific type of fridge will work for you. At that place are ii options that most will consider; a top load and a traditional upright refrigerator.

The type you lot choose volition all depend on your personal preferences as well as your layout. I went back and forth for a while on this conclusion because my van layout could have used either type. My primary concern was choosing the solution that would exist the most efficient with my solar system. I besides wanted something that had lots of room and a separate freezer.

Afterward researching and looking at various models, I decided that a height load fridge would work all-time for me.

Choosing A Top Load Fridge

At that place are a few major players in the RV refrigerator market and all of them have offerings that volition practise the job. In my search, I needed a solution that had a freezer option. When traveling in my van, I cook almost all my meals so I like to have everything I need available. This includes frozen foods as well as perishable items that demand refrigeration.

Allow'due south take a look at a couple of the popular brands that I looked at during my search.

Dometic

Dometic is a big name in the world of camping and they make many different solutions for campers. Refrigeration is a large part of their concern and they accept some corking products that have been put to the test by many RVers over the years. Dometic has always been at the superlative of my list since I take purchased from them before. I accept worked in the RV industry and know that they are a reputable company with practiced support.

Whynter

Whynter is some other brand that I was looking at during my search. Although non as known equally the Dometic, Whynter offers mobile refrigerator solutions that work groovy for RVs and other mobile solutions. Their dual-zone portable freezer/refrigerator would fit the bill quite nicely for my van conversion. It would be similar to what the Dometic fridge offers but at a lower toll. I had to decide whether or not I wanted to stick with a name I trusted or salve a footling money.

In the end, I chose the Dometic CFX 75DZW (affiliate link). This one fabricated the most sense to me. The size was perfect for what I needed and I felt that it would exist the most efficient.

Note: The model I purchased is now called the Dometic CFX3 75DZW. At that place is also some other version of this size refrigerator; Dometic Waeco CFX 75DZW.

Brand / Model	Size	Weight	Temperature Range	Ability Consumption
Dometic CFX 75DZW	75L 35.12″ W ten 19.5″ L x 18.58″ H	61.29 lbs	-7°F to fifty°F	ane.43 Ah/h

Top Load Refrigerator Installation

Slide

I planned for my fridge to be stored out of the manner underneath my bed. This was a perfect location for the fridge to be out of the way but useable by using drawer slides that allowed me to pull it out. I had planned to purchase the refrigerator slide system that Dometic sells that goes along with the fridge. At the time of this writing, the product is DOMETIC CFX SLD7580110B.

This would store neatly nether my bed and I would exist able to pull it out as needed. The slide system from the Dometic also has a locking feature that allows information technology to stay closed when not in utilise.

Although this slide arrangement was non intended to be used the way I was going to use it, I had planned on customizing it to fit my needs. I purchased the Dometic slide organization and it ended up being a bad conclusion.

There are a few reasons that this did not work for me.

The slide is NOT total extension. One time I began planning and installing this, I was disappointed to learn that the slide stops about 2 inches brusque of being full extension. This meant that I could not pull my refrigerator out far enough to open the top. I had to come up upwards with a new programme so that I could go full extension.
The locking machinery has too much play. Subsequently testing the system out and learning how it would work, I realized that it had too much play in information technology. This meant that it would rattle and make a lot of noise as I traveled in the van. I didn't like the thought of this and I wanted something that would be tight and secure.

Overall, I volition say that this slide system is very high-quality. However, in my specific build plan, it merely would not piece of work. Rather than ship it back though, I decided I would tear it apart and customize it to work for my van. It would cost me more than money but in the cease, I would exist left with a sturdy, steel base with my own custom full-extension slides installed.

I would also install my own locking mechanisms then that the refrigerator would be tight, secure, and quiet.

I'll have to say, it was a petty difficult to customize only in the end, it was worth it. I completely removed the slides that came on the unit of measurement and ordered 36-inch full extension slides that would fit. These would allow me to install my refrigerator flush with the wall so pull it out all the way then that I could open the elevation of the fridge completely.

This is exactly what I was looking for in the first place. I'm not sure why Dometic doesn't make full extension on this. I'm bold that my plan for using it was unlike than what it was designed for.

I used the same steel base only installed the new slides onto it rather than the ones that came with information technology. Fortunately, I was able to use the same supports and mounts that the slide came with. This all lined up perfectly with the new slides that I had purchased. I just had to drill new holes in all of the parts to make them fit. I used the same screws and bolts that I had taken out when I tore the thing apart.

After all was said and done, I was left with a base of operations for my refrigerator that would let me to install it the mode I had planned. It cost me an actress $70 for full-extension, heavy-duty slides only extra costs are to be expected in a custom van conversion.

Mounting The Fridge

Later the slide system was created, I positioned the fridge unit exactly where I wanted. I built a base system out of 2x4s and then that I could get the unit up off of the ground a few inches. This way, when I pulled the fridge out information technology would exist higher up the floor.

I also added a waterproof expanse underneath the fridge only in case there were to always be any h2o leaking from it. I mainly created this considering I had leftover shower liner that I needed to utilise. This seemed like a perfect spot for information technology.

I created this simple two x 4 rectangle surface area in my garage area by screwing the 2x4s to the subfloor. After that, I drilled holes in five unlike locations effectually the frame that went all the mode through the 2x4s and the metal flooring of the van.

When I installed the system, I used large bolts in these holes with washers and nuts that hold everything into the metal flooring. I wanted to make sure it was installed this way so that it would exist secure. The refrigerator is a heavy item and if a wreck or something were to occur, I didn't desire it flying through the van. Having it bolted through the entire van flooring helps to give me more than peace of mind that this will not happen.

The whole unit was installed so that the front of the slide arrangement would be flush with the wall that I had created. This would allow me to build a door onto the front of the fridge while keeping everything affluent with the wall. The plan was to have a refrigerator that became part of the wall and only had a handle on it for y'all to pull the fridge out when needed.

Installing The Drawer Front

The drawer forepart was created using shiplap merely like I used on the walls. Earlier installing the shiplap, I had to create wooden supports that would hold the shiplap on tightly. I did this by removing the refrigerator handle and adding 2×3 boards vertically that would essentially serve equally studs to mount the shiplap. This gave me a support area to build my drawer forepart onto and fabricated it very secure.

Once the supports were in identify, I simply used #8 screws and a smash gun to secure each shiplap board. I made sure to line them upwardly as close to perfect as I could to the shiplap on each side of the drawer front. The most hard part was lining upwards the bottom considering I had to cutting the shiplap to create the perfect amount of spacing.

Subsequently I was finished installing the shiplap, I filled in the screw and smash holes with wood filler and then sanded and painted.

After that was washed, I installed the hardware on the front of the drawer confront. This included a handle and latches on each side to concur the depict securely closed. Even so, the latches I chose were not the best choice, and I will probably modify them out for better ones shortly. Currently, I have the hardware seen in the picture below on the drawer.

These rattle and make besides much noise as I'k driving. I wanted to avert this and I volition solve this by using a unlike type of latch. I'm not sure what I'm going to use yet but at that place is probably something meliorate out there that won't make noise.

For at present, these are fine and the noise they make is endurable but it is pretty much the only noise that comes from my van while I am driving so I would like to get rid of it.

Powering The Fridge

As I had hoped, the efficiency of this elevation load refrigerator is excellent. I can ability the fridge completely by using my Yeti 1400 solar generator. It uses a very minimal amount of electricity to keep everything cold inside. It uses less electricity if I am not using one section as a freezer. This is obvious since information technology doesn't take to run as much to go on ane side at freezer temperature.

When the fridge compressor is running, information technology draws a various amount of amps from my solar generator, depending on what the compressor is doing. The highest draw I take seen is around v amps. Normally, it is cartoon around two-3 amps when running. However, information technology just runs a few times per hour for a few minutes depending on the ambient temperature and how cold I have the compartments set for.

Other than that, information technology doesn't use whatsoever electrical ability to maintain the temperature inside each compartment. It is surprising how picayune electricity this unit uses.

If you are using this with a Goal Zilch product, y'all may need to purchase the extra regulated cable (affiliate link) to use this fridge. Some of the newer models of their products have this built-in only the model that I have doesn't. This regulated cable allows the 12 Five output of the generator to ever exist 12 V.

Without it, 12 V becomes less and less as The battery drains. Dometic refrigerators demand a constant 12 V in gild to run. This is 1 of the things that irks me well-nigh Goal Goose egg but at least it is fixable with an inexpensive regulated cable.

Using The Fridge

The refrigerator works the mode y'all would expect any refrigerator to work. I dear the convenience of having a fridge and a freezer in one. It allows me to set one side for all of my frozen foods and the other side for my standard items that only need to remain cool.

I keep my freezer set to xvi°F and my refrigerator is set to 40°F. I have found these temperature settings to exist perfect for maintaining my food the way that I like. Fifty-fifty in 100° weather, the refrigerator performs flawlessly and has no trouble maintaining these temperatures.

In very hot situations, I have found that it does drain my solar generator a little more than it would in more ideal situations. In hot environments, the fridge compressor has to run more information technology would otherwise. The more than the compressor runs, the more energy that it uses.

On sunny days, the fridge does not use more than than what my solar panels bring in from the sun. Every bit long as at that place is some lord's day to accuse from, I can employ this refrigerator while maintaining around 100% charge on my battery.

Afterward using my refrigerator for a while, I have learned a few things that I like and a few things that I don't like. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of using this type of fridge.

Top Load Refrigerator Pros

It'southward very efficient

I have been very happy with the trivial amount of free energy that this refrigerator uses. I as well like the fact that when you open up the fridge, the cool air doesn't come out. Since cold air sinks, it stays in the cooler rather than rising out when you open the door.

Cipher falls out when you open the door

When yous bulldoze effectually in a van or an RV, items in a fridge are bound to shift and movement around. In a standard refrigerator, you may accept to open up the door slowly to make certain these items don't fall out. This is not the case with a top load refrigerator. You will not have to worry about anything falling out when you open the superlative doors on the refrigerator.

It stores out of the way

The refrigerator stores neatly out of the manner and you lot don't even know there'south a refrigerator there in my van conversion. Although it does take upward some space in the garage, I planned for this and it is not an result.

Top Load Refrigerator Cons

It's difficult to get to items on the lesser

When y'all store items in a refrigerator like this, at that place are bound to exist items that are on the bottom. Of class, these are usually the items yous need. You volition detect yourself pulling lots of other items out just to get to the items on the lesser. It makes information technology more of a hassle sometimes if you have a fully-loaded refrigerator.

It requires some reaching

The way I have the refrigerator installed in my van requires a bit of reaching. When I pull the refrigerator out, I have to bend over to get something out of the back of the freezer. It can exist difficult to become to the very back sometimes.

Conclusion

A acme load fridge has worked well for my van conversion. Notwithstanding, a standard upright refrigerator would have too worked. There are other models on the market place that would accept fit into my plan just like the peak load did. All the same, I chose to go with the top load because I liked how efficient it is and I like the idea of items not falling out when you lot open the door.

Both of these have been true as the refrigerator is very efficient and uses very little energy and I never have to worry almost items shifting and moving around while I'one thousand driving. Although there are a couple of cons, I feel that the pros outweigh the cons, and having a peak load fridge is a practiced choice.

It won't work in every van conversion only it's worth taking a look at if you aren't sure. If you are going through a van conversion, exist sure and consider each selection before yous get too far into your conversion. Each type will require a unlike infinite so brand certain you are giving this some idea and building this into your layout as you go.

Source: https://www.campervantraveler.com/camper-van-top-load-fridge-installation-and-review/

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